Pitching 3.0 to an iPod Touch User

iPhone users barely have to think about the OS 3.0 upgrade: it's free! Us iPod Touch users, however, have to think more carefully; that $9.99 price tag requires a pause. Why does Apple think that it can charge for a firmware upgrade?

I was already expecting the message when I plugged in my iPod earlier today: A new firmware update is available. Click here for more information…

The firmware update, of course, was OS 3.0. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a routine update; iTunes wanted my money. $9.99, to be exact. I knew that I’d need it (more on that later), so I grudgingly paid.

But $9.99 is far more than most people will pay for an app, and while OS 3.0 adds a lot of features, for iPod Touch users, it will have to be treated as a product. And like any other product, things will ultimately come down to one decision: to buy, or not to buy?

Many users will balk at the thought of paying $9.99, especially those who are content to stick with basic iPod functionality and the endless stream of free apps. Hardcore enthusiasts will think otherwise, but a large chunk of users will probably put it off until something convinces them. Apple knows this, I’m sure. So what are they banking on to persuade iPod Touch owners to upgrade?

1. The features themselves—copy & paste, voice memos, note syncing, and so on. These will propel some folks to upgrade, sure, but the iPod was already a great device prior to OS 3.0. Copy and paste won’t woo everyone. Peer-to-peer gaming? Maybe. But again, more on that later.

2. Pushy demands for updates—god, I remember trying to avoid the upgrade to 2.2.1. It seemed so pointless, and I didn’t want to take the time to download it. But iTunes kept insisting that I upgrade, and I finally caved after a few weeks of pestering. I expect iTunes to do exactly the same this time around, and there’s even a block devoted to OS 3.0 in the App Store. Marketing tactics FTW—Apple will do everything in their power to convince you to upgrade. And why shouldn’t they? They’re a business.

3. Specific apps and games.

4. Peripherals.

Numbers 3 and 4 will make or break the OS 3.0 experience. We already know that many big-name apps are planning to use 3.0-exclusive features: the Sims 3 (in-app purchases), Touchgrind (play your own music), and the upcoming KillTest from ngmoco (formerly LiveFire; it will feature in-app purchases and local peer-to-peer play). But while many of those perks don’t exclude OS 2.x users from playing, some games will likely come out that will demand OS 3.0. It’s too early for that now, but as time goes on, it’ll become more and more common; think of games like Audiosurf that would have to rely on 3.0 APIs. And peripherals have the ability to greatly expand the iPod Touch’s ability as a gaming platform—imagine a Bluetooth joystick or a real D-pad, or even Guitar Hero-style add-ons—so if you want to utilize those, you’ll need to pay for the privilege of…paying for add-ons. Great.

So, the way I’m looking at it is: that $9.99 is really for access to these amazing games of the future. Most of them won’t appear for a few days, or a few weeks, or maybe even a few months. But like it or not, there will inevitably be some excellent, top-notch games coming out that will require 3.0—and I suspect that Apple knows it, and that they’re banking on third-party games and peripherals to sell 3.0 to you. Want to jump into a head-to-head game even without a WiFi network? Nope, sorry, no can do. What about that awesome expansion pack? Nope, you can’t have that either. What about this great game—everyone has it, but you can’t, just because you’re a cheapskate who wouldn’t upgrade your firmware.

I knew that eventually, I’d have the chance to review a game or an app with 3.0-exclusive functionality, so I downloaded 3.0 immediately. But even if I wasn’t a reviewer, I knew that there would be some game that would have me drooling over its 3.0-exclusive content, and that, eventually, I’d crack.

Do I like the fact that I had to pay for a firmware upgrade? Heck no. Why, for example, can’t I get a free incremental update? 3.0 has so many basic fixes, like eliminating the autocorrect that insisted you LOL in all-caps. But Apple can get away with it—and, because of that, it’s hard to stay too angry.

So how many iPod Touch owners will upgrade to OS 3.0? Apple is banking on them being a sizable chunk, and it looks like their strategy is going to pay off. Is OS 3.0 worth $9.99? That’s another question altogether, but a product is worth exactly as much as people are willing to pay for it. Have you downloaded the update already? Or are you waiting to hear others’ impressions?

There are some compelling enhancements in 3.0, including new podcast features in iTunes, copy/paste, integrated search, note syncing (for Mac anyway), the in-app store, and more, but what about OS 3.0 exclusive content? How are you going to play a game or app that was compiled to run ONLY on 3.0? Without paying $10, you are not.

We are spoiled by 99 cent apps and if people had spent time on Palm or Windows Mobile devices, where games are routinely $20 and productivity apps are $80 or more, you'd appreciate paying ONLY $10 for an OS upgrade.

Bonnie

I don't know. I'm not so sure that I would have paid $10 if it wasn't for the games that are going to come out–copy and paste is well and fine, but I don't need to buy TV shows via WiFi, I don't have friends around me for peer-to-peer, I don't care about bluetooth stereo, I personally prefer the portrait keyboard, and I rarely need the search feature…a lot of these updates appeal to some people, but not all. And remember, not all of the updates are available for the iPod; I honestly don't care about picture MMS! ;P I suppose my point was that the iPod was a fine device prior to OS 3.0, which makes the update a purchase to be debated and considered rather than a necessity.

I agree that we're spoiled by 99c apps, but I don't have any experience with WiMo phones or the Palm marketplace. I've never owned a device where I had to pay for an OS upgrade, except for my laptop…and I was happily running XP until my old one died, and I was forced to switch to Vista. Did you ever pay for an OS upgrade on a Palm?

At the end of the day, though, you're right; $10 isn't a huge amount. If anything, it probably shows that the iPod Touch is closer to a computer than to a normal gaming device.

http://iphoneconspiracy.blogspot.com/ Gary A Lucero

Bonnie, no, I never paid to upgrade my Palm, but if I had needed to, I can assure you it wouldn't have been $10! And sometimes you are NEVER offered the upgrade on those devices. You are expected to shell out the money to buy an entirely new device if you want the latest/greatest OS.

Like you, I don't need to buy TV shows via WiFi or play peer-to-peer games, and I doubt that I'll ever spend the money to buy a bluetooth headset or ear phones (though I have looked at them!), but my device isn't subsidized by monthly cell phone fees.

Maybe for most consumers upgrading will just be a confusing question of “why do I need to spend $10?,” and maybe this relatively minor upgrade should have been free, but when I compare the $230 I spent for my 2nd generation 8GB iPod Touch to what an iPod Nano or similar MP3 player costs, and what I can do with it compared to all similarly priced devices, it's all a bargain.

I don't own an iPod Touch because it's the greatest device ever made. I don't even buy into Apple's argument that touch screens are the best thing in the world. I think the iPhone platform is a very flawed one, but it still offers the best value compared to Windows Mobile, all of the various MP3 players, or netbooks.

It's an incredible device and $10 to bring it up to date is very reasonable even if I don't need/want all of the changes that update brings.

Sophia

Thanks for these insightful posts I'd like to add one thought though: have you ever tried to upgrade Microsoft Windows to the latest version (be it XP, Visa or 7)? What did you pay? I think $10 gets an entirely different meaning then

However, I do fully agree that if you DON'T wish to upgrade, and have better ways to spend your money (say: 3 pints in a pub, which makes you poorer by about the same amount instantly), and you can live without new killer apps that demand os 3, than it all boils down to what you CHOOSE to do: upgrade or not.

Zeke

I cannot pay for apps because I don't own a credit card and I live in Canada. I knew that if you didn't update to 3.0, you couldn't do stuff as much anymore so I downloaded the update file for free off the internet and I installed it. I must say, I didn't think it was worth $10 for me. I was fine with 2.2.1 but then I found out you can now use street view on ipod touch and I had always wanted that. Still, don't pay, download it from the internet, you actually get the file for safekeeping too, and, it's FREE. Why is it that I'm always get the getting that Apple is giving the iPhone everything and kinda ignoring the iPod Touch? Is it because Apple wants to get people to buy iPhones?

Mare

People continue to say that the iPod Touch is like a computer. I say, perhaps it is – but if Apple makes that claim, then it is not right for them to lock it. If its a computer device, I should have complete access and total control, with out jailbreaking.

I think the 9.99, is too much. Most of the functions should have been available from the start. In addition to that, its mostly patches and bug fixes.

I understand the reasoning behind the fee but I think something like 5.99 is more appropriate.

Killaburger

Im mad because i'm 12 and i have no way of paying for this update.

Jill

I live in Canada too and can't seem to find anywhere to download it free. Where did you get the update file from?

Please move this conversation elsewhere. Downloading it free is considered piracy and we don't allow that on 148Apps.

Cheers,Jeff

http://148apps.com 148Apps

Please move this conversation elsewhere. Downloading it free is considered piracy and we don't allow that on 148Apps.

Cheers,Jeff

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